(A couple days later...)
(TW: Panic attack.)
Wilbur couldn't remember when he last felt this wanted.
He had finally been deemed as 'not sick' by Phil and he was honestly excited, instantly darting off the sofa and wandering aimlessly around the room. The cat hybrid had been confined to that one bit of furniture the whole time, accompanied by at least one other person constantly despite his insistence that it wasn't necessary. The elytrian had even taken a few days off work, explaining that he worked from home and had a flexible schedule as he passed homemade soup around. Wilbur didn't think it was necessary, constantly claiming that he wasn't actually sick and scowling whenever they gave a disbelieving look.
Despite what Wilbur would say, the medication did wonders for him; the cough drink that they got him to have soothing his throat whenever he drank it. With his coughs getting more and more infrequent and his energy levels rising significantly, he'd managed to convince Phil to resume work and was trusted to not hide another coughing fit from them again. The cat hybrid knew that was the real reason they'd hung around him, preventing him from doing anything straining with Phil scolding him whenever he would try to hide any symptoms.
It wasn't anywhere near as bad as Wilbur made it out to be, secretly enjoying their company whenever someone would join him. He learnt more about Tommy than he knew about himself, content with listening to whatever he talked about and making the younger laugh with his comments. The cat hybrid soon knew all his friends by name, smiling at the fond tone Tommy had whenever he talked about them. Techno was the one to join him the most, reading or watching something with him quietly as their shoulders touched. He still joined the piglin hybrid at night, staying with him despite his light-hearted argument that he should be resting and doing whatever he could to help him sleep. Phil was an absolute angel to him, keeping him company and suggesting a series for them to watch together. The cat hybrid liked his company, no longer feeling so hesitant to tease the elytrian about his age or mention sand mafias and geography.
It felt domestic, and Wilbur felt his cat instincts purring in his mind far more often.
--
It was what Wilbur thought was a normal Wednesday morning, his eyes barely focused on whatever tv show Techno had put on. Tommy was at school, and the pair were sat in the rare quietness of the house. The piglin hybrid seemed more closed off than usual, and Wilbur could tell that he was hiding something. The cat hybrid allowed it to slip from his mind, his ability to tell that it wasn't anything important alleviating his anxiousness.
'Wilbur, Techno!' He turned his head at Phil's voice, confused when he saw the elytrian locking his office door and balancing a few coats on his arm. Techno's hand suddenly closed over his, pulling them both to their feet and dragging him to where Phil was standing.
'Did you tell him Tech?' The elytrian asked, passing a coat to the piglin hybrid when he shook his head. 'Will, mate. We're going to take you shopping, hopefully it won't be too busy on a weekday.' He simply nodded, watching as Phil slipped on his coat and grabbing a sweater from Techno. Wilbur was ushered outside, suffocated in their warmth as they held him close to break some of the cold wind.
He spent most of the car journey staring out the window, watching as the colours blurred together and cars zoned around. Wilbur couldn't remember the last time he'd been in a car, fiddling with his seatbelt absently as he tried to commit the experience to memory. The cat hybrid ignored how his hands started shaking as the shopping centre came into view, reassuring Techno when he'd been asked if he was okay and plastering on a smile that he hoped looked genuine.
It was a wonder that people didn't stare. He must have looked pathetic, his hands flickering to fiddle with anything he could get his hands on as he stepped on the escalator. Wilbur allowed himself to be pulled into Phil's side, brushing away the thought that he would look even weirder since he was taller than the elytrian before it could spiral further.
He barely comprehended that he was pulled into a shop before they were talking to him, Techno's hands clasping around his breaking his trance. 'Wilbur, could you hold this against you?' Phil asked carefully, waiting for him to reach for the item patiently. Wilbur complied, holding it against him without any acknowledgment of why. It was a grey sweater, long sleeved and soft feeling against his hands as he held it up. The sweater didn't reach very far, barely stretching to hang by his stomach with sleeves dangling above it. He was handed a different one, doing the same thing with it and zoning out as they talked.
The shop was very bright, the sheer amount of lighting making him even more uncomfortable as music blared in his ears. It didn't seem all that busy, a couple groups of people shuffling around and barely glancing in their direction. He was glad, he wasn't sure what he would do if any more attention was on him.
'Wilbur? Ya there mate?' He snapped his head in their direction, noticing the worry in their eyes instantly.
'Yeah, sorry...' The cat hybrid smiled sheepishly, placing the sweater back on the rack carefully.
'Pick a colour mate, they have your size in all but purple.' Wilbur paused, staring at the elytrian carefully as the cogs in his brain turned. Wait-
'Yes, we're getting it for you.' Techno cut in, not even looking at Wilbur as he looked through some of the racks.
'I-'
'You need clothes, do not argue.' Phil interrupted sternly, pointing towards the different coloured sweaters. 'Pick a colour, and then we'll find you more.' Wilbur grabbed a yellow one, trying to subtly take deeper breathes as Techno took it from him, presumably before he could put it back like his fingers itched to do so. The cat hybrid didn't want them buying clothes for him, he couldn't do anything to return it. He knew it wasn't deserved, why were they so set that it was-
The music suddenly got louder, the change from a calm song to an upbeat one making him jump. A group of teenagers shuffled past them, brushing up against him briefly and making the hair on his arm stand up. He felt his façade slipping as Phil and Techno conversed, the desire to leave clouding his mind; overwhelming any fragments of common sense that remained.
'Is-' He coughed slightly, trying to sound relatively normal. 'Is there a bathroom near here?' Wilbur forced his head up from the ground, barely looking into their eyes.
'There's one outside the store... But Will-' He walked away before Techno could finish, barely hearing his name being shouted as he strolled outside.
Wilbur could feel eyes on him, of course he could! Who wouldn't stare at him when his hands were shaking as he opened the bathroom door, his hair unkept from when he couldn't keep his fingers from pulling at the ends? He sighed in relief when he found the bathroom empty, quickly locking himself in a stool and lowering himself to the ground to lean against the cubical.
The cat hybrid covered his ears, willing for the sound to go away. Why wasn't it going away? He knew he didn't have much time, knew that they would figure out something was off and come looking. Could he handle that, could he handle pretending nothing was wrong again? His breathing picked up, a stinging sensation pricking at his eyes that he tried to ignore.
He could hear his own breathing loud and clear, the instability of it making him inwardly cringe. His hands were full on shaking, barely managing conceal the sounds like he so desperately wanted. The cat hybrid couldn't hear his own thoughts anymore, unable to pick up anything over his panicked mind. He didn't hear the door open, too caught up in his head to listen to the sound of footsteps entering.
The stool door shook, his eyes snapping to it, and he tried to relax his breathing. Maybe they'd think he wasn't there, thinking the cubical was jammed shut instead. His hands lowered from his ears, moving to cover his mouth when he realised he was getting louder. Sound overwhelmed him, flying through his brain rapidly without giving him a chance to adapt.
'bur- Will, can you hear me?' Phil. Phil was here, listening to whatever ugly sounds he couldn't stifle. Tears fell down his face, landing on his hands as he tried to stop the shaking from racking through his whole body. It didn't work, he could feel the way his back repeatably hit the cubical wall.
'Mate, can you unlock the door?' He couldn't- He can't let him see him like this, he didn't want them to. They shouldn't have to deal with this, he can't let them. The cat hybrid muttered various things, focusing on the growing pain in his back instead.
'Okay, that's okay. Can you follow my breathing instead Wilbur?' The cat hybrid nodded even though he couldn't see, reigning his attention into the exaggerated sound of Phil's breathing. He brought his hands up from his mouth, tangling them in his hair and pulling at it as he slowly calmed down. There was no point anyway, they'd already heard-
'Will, try and focus on me, okay?' Wilbur wasn't sure when his focus had dropped, his thoughts becoming clearer and clearer the more he breathed. He was sure that minutes passed until his breathing felt normal again, letting his hands drop to the floor with a thump. The cat hybrid sighed loudly, relishing in the ability to breath normally for a few seconds.
'Thank you,' he muttered shyly, his hands reaching to cover the blush that formed on his cheeks even though they couldn't see. He could feel his pupils slowly shrink to an acceptable size, unsure of when they had dilated.
'Don't thank me mate.' He stayed still for a few more minutes, trying to make sense of what had happened. Wilbur knew they were waiting, and he didn't have the energy to try to convince them that they could leave. The cat hybrid let his head fall on his knees, breathing softly as he tried to figure out what to do.
'Wilbur?' His head shot up at Techno's voice, banging harshly against the wall as the realisation that they had both heard him settled in. 'Could you open the door for us?'
'Whenever you're ready mate.' Phil added, and Wilbur knew he was trying to keep the concern from his voice.
He allowed himself a few extra minutes to prepare himself, before carefully placing his hands on the wall to stand up. Wilbur brushed the fallen tears from his cheeks, finding himself straightening up the Techno's clothes that he was wearing. He knew he was stalling; he knew that it was an excuse to delay everything, but he couldn't help it. The cat hybrid hesitated as his hands fell over the lock, deciding to get it over and done with instead of drawing out the tension.
The lock made a clicking sound, signalling that he'd opened it loudly in the silent room. Pushing the door open sheepishly, he found himself engulfed in a hug before it could hit the cubical wall. Grey wings folded around his back, pulling him closer and covering him in warmth that seemed to melt his brain. He glanced at Techno, noticing the way the piglin hybrid tried not to come close as to overwhelm him.
'Sorry...' He muttered into Phil's shoulder, feeling the elytrian stiffen around him.
'Please don't apologise mate.' The older replied, loosening his grip to make eye contact with him. 'Don't ever be sorry for that.' Wilbur hummed, too tired to argue with him and folding himself back into the hug silently. He could tell Phil felt better at that, gripping him tighter for a few more minutes.
They gradually moved outside when Wilbur said he was fine to, not paying attention to anything other than Techno's hand squeezing his gently. He didn't realise they had stopped until he was ushered to sit down, a bottle of water resting on a table in front of him. Wilbur stared at it as they talked, eventually giving in and sipping at it carefully. If he had the energy, he would have blushed at the satisfied looks they gave him.
Techno and him stayed there for another hour, Wilbur leaning on his shoulder as they waited. It was a quiet café, no one seen from the corner of the place they were sat in. The sound of coffee grinding softly kept them company, and Wilbur found himself too tired to protest whenever Techno showed him his phone. Phil had gone back to the shop, sending pictures of various items of clothing for Techno to show him before typing back to him. He had protested at first, before deciding to save his energy when it fell on deaf ears.
The elytrian eventually returned to the small café, lightly swatting Wilbur's hands away when he tried to help carry some of the bags. A coat was slipped around his shoulders before they left, the tag dangling by his arm briefly before Phil snapped it off. It was enough time for him to stare at the price of it, and he knew that Techno suddenly distracting him with water was to prevent his guilt.
Phil kept the radio off as they drove back, and Wilbur appreciated it greatly. Techno made a comment jokingly that the cat hybrid was easier to shop for when tired, and Wilbur chuckled breathlessly from his position against his shoulder. He fell asleep shortly after that, the light movement of the car lulling away his already tired mind easily.
--
Wilbur shifted slightly as he gently woke up, feeling unidentifiable weight on his legs. He could feel that he was no longer in the car, instead leant against something with familiar softness. The cat hybrid blinked his eyes open, slowly getting used to the lightening as he identified his surroundings. Looking down, he noticed a ball of blonde hair resting in his lap; soft snoring filling the silence.
Tommy had apparently changed out of his uniform, wearing some trousers and his signature t-shirt instead. He looked peaceful, and the cat hybrid couldn't resist threading through his hair, smiling at the contented sound he made in his sleep. Glancing out the window, he watched as the sun set, painting the sky an orange and pink colour that stroked neatly. Wilbur wondered how he'd managed to sleep so long, a twinge of culpability hitting him when he realised someone must have carried him inside.
The raccoon hybrid stirred when he stopped moving his hand, and soon tired eyes were blinking back at him. 'Oh,' Tommy whispered, slowly lifting his head to rest on his shoulder instead. 'You're awake.' He just resisted cooing at the teenager, his soft expression making him look even cuter as he blinked sleep out the way.
'Phil told me what happened.' Tommy muttered; his voice heavy with sleep as he started the conversation. 'Why didn't you tell me about them Wilby?' He ignored the way his heart swelled at the nickname, focusing on figuring out a way to deflect the inevitable conversation.
'It never came up.' The teenager sighed, his head shifting slightly on Wilbur's shoulder.
'You'd tell me about anything like that now, wouldn't you?'
'Of course, Toms.' Wilbur ruffled his hair again, smiling at the raccoon hybrid. 'Only if you do the same.'
'I already do.' Tommy admitted softly, causing a twitch of guilt to rush through him.
'Ah, you're both awake.' Phil's head popped in front of them, his hands full with two steaming mugs. 'Drink.' He demanded, passing the pair a mug each. 'Techno made it. I still don't understand how his is so much better than mine when we use the same kettle.'
'I just have skill.' Techno passed Phil his mug, taking a seat beside Wilbur and hissing when he tried to drink. 'No one can overtake me with hot chocolate making. I am easily the most experienced-'
'Did you just burn your tongue?' Tommy asked smugly, placing his mug down on the table when the piglin hybrid didn't reply.
The room went silent for a few minutes and Wilbur thought he'd gotten away scott-free, that hope crushing when he heard Phil speak. 'Will,' he started, placing his now empty mug on the table. 'You up for talking?' The cat hybrid glanced at Techno, noticing how the piglin hybrid looked ready to dart upwards if he moved, before slowly nodding.
'Have you had panic attacks before.' Wilbur shrugged, all his words rolling into felt and sticking to the sides of his mouth uncomfortably. The elytrian sighed, coaxing Wilbur to lean on his shoulder. 'Okay... Can you tell me the last time?'
'It's been a while...' He admitted, pushing away the embarrassment of the conversation. 'Just got overwhelmed by shit.' The cat hybrid muttered when no-one said anything, clearly waiting for him to elaborate.
'Anything specific?' Techno asked casually, his bored façade cracking with the conversation.
'Loud. Couldn't distract myself quick enough.' God, he just wanted it to be over already.
'Is there anything we can do to help with that?' He simply shrugged, ignoring the way he just knew he could see through it. Wilbur fidgeted with his fingers, picking at the ends of his nails until Tommy pulled them apart. 'Wilbur, please tell us. We wanna help you.'
'Used to have some fidget toys. Dunno what happened to them.' He admitted, watching with a pleading expression as Techno instantly pulled out his phone. They'd done so much for him; he didn't want them to do more.
Phil didn't say anything after that, a lingering question remaining in his eyes that Wilbur instinctually wished he hadn't seen. Tell me next time, so I can help? He nodded, giving into the temptation of not dealing with it alone; not having to hide away in disgusting public bathrooms and let his panicked thoughts consume him. The cat hybrid said nothing as Phil pulled him closer, a satisfied smile growing on his face as they watched Tommy and Techno fight over a film. The raccoon hybrid won, and soon the UP-title screen was flashing over their faces.
'Wilby?' He turned his head towards Tommy, his head curled up on his knees again.
'Yeah Toms?' Wilbur whispered, noticing the sleeping elytrian and piglin hybrid as he turned down the movies volume.
'I'm glad we found you.' The raccoon hybrid muttered into Wilbur's thighs sleepily, and he knew that the teenager would be embarrassed if he brought it up later. 'And that you're a hybrid.'
'I'm happy too.' He admitted, not an inch of a lie in his voice. It sometimes scared him, not used to feeling affection and content swelling in his heart every day. Wilbur didn't want it to end, and he had a feeling they didn't want that either.
'You'll stay as a human, right? You won't leave me?' The teen's voice sounded so quiet, scared of rejection. Wilbur couldn't break his heart, he wouldn't.
'Of course, Tommy, can't get rid of me that quickly.' He smiled at the raccoon hybrid, his hands snaking to his hair without much of a thought.
Wilbur was still smiling when Tommy eventually fell asleep, joining Phil and Techno as they credits rolled on the screen. Just as he was smiling gratefully when a bunch of fidget toys arrived, constantly keeping one in his pockets whenever they went outside and helping to ride off some panic attacks that he could feel creeping up his spine. He kept his promise to Phil, relishing in the comfort he was offered whenever it got too much.
Soon, he found himself smiling more than anything else. Not only that but he'd found a home, and one that enjoyed the comfort of a cat hybrid.